Professor Aviva Halamish is a historian at the Open University of Israel, and Editor-in-Chief of the Open University of Israel Press.
Her research encompasses the history of the Jewish people and of Palestine in the twentieth century, focusing on the history of Zionism; Jewish immigration in the twentieth century including illegal Jewish immigration to Mandatory Palestine; history of the Yishuv (Jewish community in Mandatory Palestine) and of the state of Israel; the kibbutz; youth movements; historical biography.
She authored or edited over a dozen books and published scores of articles on various aspects of her fields of expertise.
She has been involved for many years in history teaching at the education system as a teacher, lecturer at courses for teachers, member of The Ministry of Education committees and academic consultant to textbooks for junior and high schools.
Served as Head of Modern History Studies at the Open University of Israel.
- Personal
- Professional Education
- Academic Appointments
- Professional Experience
- Administrative and Other Academic Activities
- Fields of Research
- Scholarships
- Prizes
- Sponsored Research and Grants
- Membership on Editorial Boards
- Membership in Professional Societies
- Visiting Scholar
- Scientific Consulting
- Academic Advising to Open University Books
- Referee for Prize Committee
- Member of Prize Committees
- Chair of Prize Committees
- Conference Activities
- List of Publications
Personal
Tel: Home: 972-3-5442229 ; Office: 972-9-7781383; Mobile: 972-54-492-5572
Fax: 972-9-7781416
E-mail: avivaha@openu.ac.il
Born in Haifa, Israel
Mother of two
Professional Education
| 1973 | B.A., History of the Muslim Countries, History and History of the Jewish People; The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel, (summa cum laude) |
| 1976 | M.A., Jewish History and Middle East Studies; Columbia University, New York, USA |
| 1982 | High School Teaching Certificate, Department of Education; The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel |
| 1996 | Ph.D., Jewish History; Tel Aviv University, Israel |
Academic Appointments
| 2000 | Senior Lecturer, Netanya Academic College |
| 2004 | Senior Lecturer, The Open University of Israel |
| 2006 | Associate Professor, The Open University of Israel |
| 2012 | Full Professor, The Open University of Israel |
Professional Experience (since 2004)
| 1982 – 2004 | The Open University of Israel, junior-staff member |
| 2000 – 2006 | Netanya Academic College, Senior Lecturer |
| 2004 – 2006 | The Open University of Israel, Senior Lecturer |
| 2006 – 2012 | The Open University of Israel, Associate Professor |
| 2012 – 2014 | The Open University of Israel, Full Professor |
Administrative and Other Academic Activities (partial list; since 2000)
| 1998 – 2001 | Member of the Academic Board of the Institute for the Study of Zionism, Tel Aviv University |
| 2000 – 2006 | Member of the Academic Board, Illegal Immigration Museum, Athlit. |
| 2003 – on | Member of the Board of Overseers, Hebrew Union College, Jerusalem |
| 2004 – 2009 | Member of the Executive Board, Eretz Israel Museum, Tel Aviv; and of its Academic Committee |
| 2005 – 2008 | Head of the Center for the Research of Eretz-Israel and Its Yishuv of the Open University of Israel and Yad Ben-Zvi |
| 2005 – 2008 | Head of the Center for the Research of Eretz-Israel and Its Yishuv of the Open University of Israel and Yad Ben-Zvi |
| 2005 – on | Merd of Dmber of the Boairectors of the Association for Israel Studies |
| 2006– 2008 | Chair, The Ministry of Education Committee for re-writing and updating C-V Aviva Halamish, February 2016, p. 2 2 History curricula for grades 6-9 in the General School System. |
| 2007-2014 | Member of the Senate, The Open University |
| 2007-2011 | Member of the Board of Directors, The Historical Society of Israel |
| 2007 – 2009 | Vice-President of the Association for Israel Studies |
| 2007 – 2008 | Head, Academic Development, The Open University |
| 2007 - on | Member of Yad Yaari's Academic Committee |
| 2008 – 2014 | Head, Modern History Studies, Dep. of History, Philosophy and Judaic Studies, The Open University |
| 2007 – 2011 | Member of the Board of Directors, The Historical Society of Israel |
| 2008 – 2010 | Member of the Ministry of Education Committee of History |
| 2007 – 2008 | Head, Academic Development, The Open University |
| 2007 – on | Member of the Academic Committee of Yad Yaari |
| 2007 – on | Head, Modern History Studies, Dep. of History, Philosophy and Judaic Studies, The Open University |
| 2008 – 2010 | Member of the Ministry of Education Committee of History |
| 2008 – 2011 | Member of the Open University Council |
| 2008 – on | Member of the Academic Committee of the Lavon Institute |
| 2009 – 2011 | President, The Association for Israel Studies |
| 2009 – 2011 | President, The Association for Israel Studies |
| 2009 – on | Chair of Yad Yaari's Academic Committee |
| 2009 – on | Member of Machon Avshalom's Board of Directors |
| 2009 – on | Member of the Higher Education Council's committee for the approval of B.Ed in History at the Sha'anan Religious Academic College for Education |
| 2010 – on | Member of Machon Avshalom's Academic Committee |
| 2011 – 2014 | Chair, Academic Committee of the Kibbutz Researchers' Forum |
| 2011 – on | Member of the Academic Committee of the School for Jerusalem Studies, Yad Ben Zvi, Jerusalem |
| 2012-2014 | Chair, Accreditation Committee, The Open University of Israel |
| 2012-2014 | Member of the Open University appointment committee for lecturer and senior lecturer |
| 2013-2014 | Member of the Open University appointment committee for associate professor and full professor |
| 2013-2014 | Member of the Open University selection committee of potential senior faculty members with exceptional research record |
| 2013-on | Head and Editor-in-Chief, The Open University of Israel Press |
Fields of Research
- Jewish immigration in the twentieth century
- Illegal Jewish immigration to Mandatory Palestine
- The Jewish community in Mandatory Palestine (The Yishuv)
- History of the State of Israel
- History of the Kibbutz movement
- Zionist Youth Movements
- Historical biography
Scholarships
| 1987 | The Luba Datlow and Emma Rosenberg Ph.D. Fund, Tel Aviv University |
| 1988 | The Joseph and Ceil Mazer Post Doctoral Fellowship Fund, Tel Aviv University |
| 1989 | The Faculty of the Humanities, Tel Aviv University |
| 1990 | The Hannah and Zvi Brander Fund, The Institute for the Research of Zionism, Tel Aviv University |
| 1991 | The Rashi Fund for Distinguished Ph.D. Candidates, The Open University |
| 1991 | The David Ben-Gurion Fund for Research Promotion, General Federation of Labor |
| 1991 and 1992 | Memorial Foundation for Jewish Culture, New York, USA |
| 1994 | The Rothschild Yad Avi ha-Yishuv Fund |
| 1999 | Memorial Foundation for Jewish Culture, New York, USA |
| 1999 and 2000 | Rivlin Institute, Bar Ilan University |
| 2000 | The Eisenstadt Scholarship, Lavon Institute, Tel Aviv |
Prizes
| 2007 | The Association for Israel Studies Annual Shapiro Award for Best Book in Israel Studies during the year 2006, for the book: Be'merutz Kaful Neged Hazman [A Dual Race Against Time: Zionist Immigration Policy in the 1930s] (Yad Ben Zvi). |
| 2008 | Hecht Prize of the Herzl Institute for the Research and Study of Zionism, University of Haifa, for a research book in History of Zionism, the Yishuv and the State of Israel, for the book: Be'merutz Kaful Neged Hazman [A Dual Race Against Time: Zionist Immigration Policy in the 1930s] (Yad Ben Zvi). |
| 2010 | Yitzhak Ben Zvi Award for research book in the History of Eretz Yisrael, for the book Meir Yaari: Biographya Kibbutzit [Meir Ya'ari: Collective Biography, the First Fifty Years, 1897-1947] (Am Oved Publishers). |
Sponsored Research and Grants
| 1984 – 1987 | The Inter-University Project for the Research of Illegal Immigration in Honor of Shaul Avigur; Illegal Immigration Ship "Exodus 1947" |
| 2001 – 2004 | Yad Ya'ari, The Center for Research and Documentation of HaShomer HaTzair Movement and of the Kibbutz Artzi Federation: Biography of Me'ir Ya'ari |
| 2009 – 2011 | Grant from Yad Chaim Weizmann at the Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot and The Chaim Weizmann Institute for Research of Zionism and Israel at Tel Aviv University for a research titled: "Chaim Weizmann and Jewish Immigration to Palestine: Ideology and Political Activity" Three years grant from the Israel Science Foundation (240,000 NIS): "1934 - Profile of a Year: Toward an Integrative History of the Yishuv" [Application No. 36/12] |
Membership on Editorial Boards
| 1998 – 2001 | member of the Editorial Board, Ha-Tzyonut |
| 1998 – 2001 | member of the Editorial Board, The Journal of Israeli History |
| 2002 – on | member of the Editorial Board, Aley Zayit ve-Herev |
| 2003 – on | co-editor, Cathedra for the History of Eretz Israel and its Yishuv |
| 2003 – on | member of the Editorial Board of Yad Yitzhak Ben Zvi Press |
| 2005 – on | member of the Editorial Board, Iyunim Bitkumat Israel |
| 2009 – on | member of the Editorial Board of The Ben-Gurion Research Institute Press (Ben-Gurion University of the Negev) |
| 2012 – on | member of the editorial board of Moreshet: Journal for the Study of the Holocaust and Antisemitism [English and Hebrew issues] |
| 2013 – on | Head and Editor-in-Chief, The Open University of Israel Press |
Membership in Professional Societies
- The Historical Society of Israel
- World Union of Jewish Studies
- Association for Jewish Studies
- Association for Israel Studies
Visiting Scholar
Skirball Department of Hebrew and Judaic Studies, New York University, August 2005-February 2006
The Schusterman Center for Israel Studies, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA., January-July 2010
The Allen and Joan Bildner Center for the Study of Jewish Life, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, October 2014-September 2015
Teaching
| The Open University | |
| 1986 – 1991 | "Jerusalem throughout the Ages," Coordinator and instructor |
| 2001 – 2005 | "From National Home to a State in the Making: The Jewish Community in Palestine between the World Wars," Coordinator and instructor |
| Tel Aviv University | |
| 1987 – 1999, 2007, 2011 | Courses in the history of the Yishuv and Israel |
| Menashe College (affiliated with Tel Aviv University) | |
| 1996 | Courses in the history of Palestine / Eretz Yisrael |
| University of Haifa | |
| 1998 | MA course on Jewish Immigration |
| Bar Ilan University | |
| 1999 | BA and MA courses in Jewish history and history of Palestine |
| Netanya Academic College | |
| 2001 – 2005 | History courses in the school for communication studies |
Other Professional Activities
Supervision of Ph.D. Theses
Tal Elmaliach, University of Haifa (with Prof. Daniel Gutwein).
Doron Nadiv, University of Haifa (with Prof. Daniel Gutwein).
Efrat Seckbach (Bar Ilan University, with Prof. Margalit Shilo).
Post Doctoral Instructor
Dr. Anat Kidron, 2009
Referee of MA Dissertations and Ph.D. Thesis and Proposals
Tel Aviv University; Ben Gurion University; Bar Ilan University; University of Haifa; The Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
Referee of Research Proposals
The National Foundation for Jewish Culture: Doctoral Dissertation Fellowships in Jewish Studies, 2007.
German-Israeli Foundation for Scientific Research and Development (GIF), 2009.
Israel Science Foundation (ISF) 2009, 2011.
Referee for Prize Committee
Auschwitz Foundation Prizes, 2008.
Member of Prize Committees
The Goldhirsh Prize for Outstanding MA Thesis in Holocaust Studies, Ben-Gurion University (2005)
KKL [Jewish National Fund] Prize Committees for Doctoral Dissertations (2005, 2006 and 2007)
The Shimon Ben Shemesh Prize, KKL [Jewish National Fund] (2006).
The Ephraim E. Urbach Post-Doctoral International Fellowship for Jewish Studies of The Memorial Foundation for Jewish Culture in co-operation with the World Union of Jewish Studies, 2009, 2011.
Chair of Prize Committees
Yitzhak Ben-Zvi Award for research book in the History of Eretz Yisrael, 2011
Mordechai Ish-Shalom Award for first research book in the History of Eretz Yisrael, 2011
Yizhak Sadeh Prize for book in Military History, 2011.
Association for Israel Studies' Yonathan Shapiro Award for Best Book in Israel Studies, 2012.
Referee of books
Ha-Kibbutz ha-Meuchad; Israel State Archive; Schusterman Series in Israel Studies (Brandeis University); Tel Aviv University and Am Oved series; The Ben-Gurion Research Institute Press (Ben-Gurion University of the Negev)#; Yad Ben Zvi Press#; Yad Tabenkin.
# Prior to joining the editorial board
Referee of articles
British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies; Cathedra#;Ha-Tziyonut;Israel; Israel Studies Forum; Israel Studies Review; Iyunim bi'Tekumat Israel#; Journal of Modern Jewish Studies; Nations and Nationalism; Pe'amim; Studies in Zionism; The Journal of Israeli History; Zion; Zmanim.
# Prior to joining the editorial board
Scientific Consulting
Mordechai Naor, Birkat ha-Hashmal [The History of Israel Electric Corporation], Jerusalem 2003.
Dosh: Karikaturist 1921-2000 [Dosh: A Caricaturist], Tel Aviv 2007.
Beno Rothenberg: Tzulam ve-nirsham 1947-1957 [Beno Rothenberg: Photographed and Reported 1947 1957], Tel Aviv 2007.
Yemima Rosenthal (Series Editor), Louise Fischer (Editing and historical notes), Moshe Sharett: The Second Prime Minister – Selected Documents (1894-1965), Jerusalem 2007 [State of Israel – Israel Archives / Commemorative Series: The Presidents and prime Ministers of Israel], scientific consultation to ch. 1-7, pp. 1-340 [Hebrew].
Zvi Zameret and Hannah Yablonka (eds.), The Third Decade: 1968-1978 [Idan Series of Yad Yitzhak Ben Zvi], Jerusalem 2008.
Ruvik Rosenthal, Dictionary of Hebrew Idioms and Phrases [Hebrew], Jerusalem 2009: "Zionism".
Asaf Zeltzer, The Story of Mekorot: Israel National Water Company: The First 75 Years, Jerusalem: Yad Yitzhak Ben Zvi, 2011 [Hebrew].
Academic Advising to Open University Books
Between Zion and Zionism, Units 1 (1995) and 8 (1998)
Trends in Israeli Society, Unit 4 (2001)
Israel’s First Decade, Units 2, 3, 4, 5, 10 (2001 and 2002)
Introduction of Local Government, Unit 3 (2004)
Yemeni Jews: History, Society and Culture, Unit 7
National Myths in Israeli Culture (Temporary edition)
Mira Katzburg-Yungman (ed.), Ha-Havaya ha-Yehudit ha-Amerikanit [The American Jewish Experience, Hebrew] (2006)
Mira Katzburg-Yungman (ed.), The American Jewish Experience [a Collection of Articles in English] (2006)
Ariel Horowitz, The Holocaust, a unit in the course “Genocide” (2006)
Ariel Horowitz, The Holocaust, a unit in the course “Genocide” (2006)
Bat-Sheva Margalit-Stren, Women in the Jewish Society in Palestine (1882-1948) (2014)
Inbal Ofer, The French Revolution (2015)
Referee for Prize Committee
Auschwitz Foundation Prizes, 6002
Member of Prize Committees
The Goldhirsh Prize for Outstanding MA Thesis in Holocaust Studies, Ben-Gurion University (2005)
KKL [Jewish National Fund] Prize Committees for Doctoral Dissertations (2005, 2006 and 2007)
The Shimon Ben Shemesh Prize, KKL [Jewish National Fund] (2006)
The Ephraim E. Urbach Post-Doctoral International Fellowship for Jewish Studies of The Memorial Foundation for Jewish Culture in co-operation with the World Union of Jewish Studies, 2009, 2011
Association for Israel Studies' Ben Halpern Award for Best Dissertation in Israel Studies, 2013
Association for Israel Studies' Yonathan Shapiro Award for Best Book in Israel Studies, 2015
Chair of Prize Committees
Yitzhak Ben-Zvi Award for research book in the History of Eretz Yisrael, 2011
Mordechai Ish-Shalom Award for first research book in the History of Eretz Yisrael, 2011
Yizhak Sadeh Prize for book in Military Writing, 2011
Association for Israel Studies' Yonathan Shapiro Award for Best Book in Israel Studies, 2012
Conference Activities
List of Publications